Oregon Ducks simplify spring game due to injuries

View full sizeOregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich before the start of the 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl football game between the Oregon Ducks and Kansas State Wildcats at the University of Phoenix stadium. Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

EUGENE -- Oregon won't talk about injuries, but it sure will react to them for the betterment of the team.

The Ducks have tweaked the format for Saturday's 11 a.m. spring game at
Autzen Stadium by shifting from a split squad game to offense vs.
defense with a modified scoring system.

Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said the change is in response to the long list of injuries up and down the roster.

"Trying to get the right people the right number of reps is probably more or less what we're trying to do," Helfrich said.

In some ways, this format should lend itself to more continuity on both
sides of the ball, rather than having coaches draft players and
splitting up the team.

Helfrich said there would be four kickoff and four punt situations to
give those units some work. In between, the ball will be placed on the
field and the offense will do its thing against the defense.

For scoring purposes, the offense will be awarded six points for
touchdowns and three for field goals. The defense will be awarded six
for touchdowns, three for forcing a turnover and one point for stopping
the offense from scoring on a given drive.

The scrimmage will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network. Admission to
the scrimmage will be three non-perishable food items, which will be
donated to Food for Lane County.